Ohio Rep. Jay Edwards, R-Nelsonville, introduced a bill this week aimed at fighting Ohio’s opioid crisis through prescription drug reform. House Bill 167, introduced by Edwards at a Wednesday press conference, would limit the dosage of prescription opioids for acute pain that physicians can prescribe. This would require physicians to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines that suggest …

Ohio University Police Chief Andrew Powers asked the Athens City Prosecutor’s office to dismiss the remaining charges related to the Baker Center sit-in on Feb. 1. “Although I still believe the February 1 gathering had become unsafe and that our response was appropriate, I respect the decision of the judge,” Powers said in a press release. Athens Municipal Court Judge …

Nov. 9: 7:02 p.m. As of tonight, the Associated Press reported that Trump has a total of 279 electoral votes to Clinton’s 228. There are still 31 electoral votes to be awarded, but results in Arizona, Michigan and New Hampshire are too close to call. Despite losing in the electoral college, Clinton earned 48 percent of the popular vote, edging …

All you need to know for the 2016 elections, from the presidential candidates to the uncontested candidates of Athens County.

The financial discrepancies found from Sarah Grace’s time as treasurer of the East Athens Elementary Parent Teacher Organization have been resolved, according to Athens City Schools Superintendent Tom Gibbs. Gibbs and executive members of the East Athens Elementary PTO met Friday afternoon to discuss the financial discrepancies found from Grace’s time as treasurer for the organization. “From the perspective of the …

Oct. 18 11:55 a.m.: This story has been updated to reflect additional comments from Sarah Grace concerning taxes filed for the PTO. Sarah Grace has pushed back against accusations that she did not file taxes for the East Athens Elementary Parent Teacher Organization during her time as treasurer from 2014-2016. Grace, who is the Democratic candidate for the 94th State …

Sen. Rob Portman and former Gov. Ted Strickland faced off at the second senatorial debate Monday night with more character attacks than policy plans. The debate, hosted by WBNS-10TV and the Columbus Dispatch, kicked off with questions about Ohio’s economy. The candidates sparred over job loss and their past performances in office. “He (Strickland) lost 350,000 jobs when he was …

Oct. 11: This article has been updated to include comments from Michael Lakomy, president of College Democrats of Ohio and updated statements from David Parkhill, president of Ohio University College Republicans. Ohio Sen. Rob Portman joined a long list of Republicans who renounced Donald Trump late Saturday, saying he “can no longer support” his party’s presidential candidate. “While I continue …

Contributing reporting by Lindsey Curnutte. As millions of Americans tuned into the first general debate of the 2016 presidential election, thousands of journalists stood by to feverishly fact check the candidates’ assertions. Here are the five biggest fact-checking moments of the Sept. 26 debate: 1. Clinton: “Trumped Up-Trickle Down” disproportionately favors the wealthy and adds $5 trillion to the national …

“Silencing Free Speech,” an open forum that explored the layers of free speech in American politics and on campus, was held Thursday night in Galbreath Chapel. Kimberley Strassel, a member of the Wall Street Journal editorial board, was invited to campus by the George Washington Forum to open a discussion about how the First Amendment has been silenced at Ohio …

Ohio University College Republicans (OUCR) had what David Parkhill, president of the organization, called its fourth-largest meeting ever Wednesday night. Political Director Casey Kinsey led a discussion about how to respectfully canvass for Trump, pointing out that last year’s Greek Week was restructured to be about diversity after a fraternity wrote “Trump 2016” and “Build the wall” on the campus …

The Koch brothers’ network announced Tuesday that they plan to cancel advertising in the Ohio Senate race, voicing confidence in Sen. Rob Portman’s, R-Ohio, victory this fall. The network of donors, led by prominent conservative donors Charles and David Koch, will suspend $2.1 million planned for advertising in late September. The Koch brothers have already shelled out $10 million in …

While most Ohio University students drove across the state to get to campus this semester, many international students traveled across the globe to become Bobcats. New and returning international students met Saturday at the International Student Union Welcome Picnic to celebrate the start of the new semester. “I can see some domestic students, Americans and international students,” Hashim Pashtun, director …

Members of City Council approved funding toward the creation of a new municipal pool, presented Ohio University’s Master Plan and announced an award nomination at the meeting on Monday. “It’s been a long, long, long, long time coming,” Mayor Steve Patterson said about the approval of funds for the pool. Council member Jennifer Cochran, D-At Large, communicated concerns from citizens …

Athens City Council expressed concerned over the upcoming fest season during its Monday meeting. City Council President Christine Knisely talked about an alert from Chief of Police Tom Pyle, which urges citizens to consider safe practices during fest season. Knisley said members of council and police plan to go out into the community offering friendly safety tips during the weeks …

Athens City Council took its first concrete step to replace the Athens city pool on Monday by approving an ordinance for a “municipal pool option” instead of strictly an outdoor aquatic center. This decision allows city administrators to now put a bid out, allowing $500,000 for a pool design. Chris Fahl, D-3rd Ward, amended the original ordinance authorizing engineering services …

Athens City Council reached a stalemate once again during Monday’s meeting when faced with the decision between an indoor or outdoor municipal pool. Councilman Kent Butler, D-1st Ward, opened discussions for a second reading of an ordinance authorizing engineering services for the outdoor municipal swimming pool. While it was described on the ballot to voters as a project for a …

The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities has named Ohio University a finalist for the third annual Innovation & Economic Prosperity University Awards Program. Alongside schools like Auburn University, Clemson University and the University of Minnesota, OU is one of the six public research institutions APLU has recognized as advancing the economic well-being of its local communities through economic development. …